Home Run
by asprankle1
Summary: Liz persuades Red to accompany her to a baseball game which he really doesn't want to do...can they still have a good time?
1. Chapter 1

This is dedicated to the lovely Ashton aka jackandsamforever. She gave me the idea and she has been beta-ing for me. Thanks!

I own zilch of The Blacklist - just playing with the characters.

Hope you enjoy! :)

Liz walked into her apartment and closed the door with a sigh. It was Friday evening and she was ready for the weekend. They finally caught the blacklister that they'd been chasing. Somehow he had always been one step ahead of them and would get away right before they could apprehend him. They had played cat and mouse for a few days but he had finally slipped up and they were able to nab him. In other words, it had been a really long week.

She changed into some comfy clothes and laid down on the couch with a groan of relief. She was still relaxing a few minutes later when there was a knock at her door. She walked to door and opened it to see Jill, a neighbor from a few doors down.

Liz smiled. "Hey Jill, come on in." Jill walked in and sat on the couch as Liz shut the door. Jill looked apologetic. "I know it's kind of late, I hope I didn't interrupt anything." Liz smiled as she sat down beside her, "No, it's fine I was just winding down after a grueling week at work. What's up?"

Jill pulled an envelope out of her purse. "These are two baseball tickets for the Baltimore Orioles for tomorrow afternoon. Shawn and I have to go out of town for the weekend and were hoping to find someone to take them so they don't go to waste." Liz took the envelope and pulled out the tickets as Jill continued, "I know it's last minute but you told me one time you liked baseball so I thought you might want them."

"I would love them," Liz said and started to reach for her wallet, "What do you want for them?" Jill shook her head. "Nothing. Shawn won them at work so we didn't pay for them either. We just thought it would be nice to find someone to use them since we can't."

Liz smiled widely. "Thank you so much!" She said as they stood up, then leaned over and gave Jill a hug. As they walked to the door, Jill asked, "So who are you going to give the other ticket to?" Liz opened the door. "I have someone in mind," she said with a blush, hoping Jill didn't see it; but of course she did.

She leaned in close, "Well you'll have to tell me all about it when I get back," she whispered as she stepped out into the hallway. Liz blushed deeper. "See you later," she said, then shut the door.

She sat back down on the couch and looked at the tickets. She thought about asking Meera but knew it would be hard for her to get a sitter for her daughter at the last minute. She really did want to ask Red, but was hesitant; she wasn't sure where their relationship stood and he didn't seem to enjoy common activities like this. However, the more she thought about it, she realized if she didn't take risks nothing she wanted would likely ever happen.

With determination giving her courage, she pulled out her phone and dialed with shaky hands. It rang a few times and she was just about to hang up when his low voice came over the line, "Lizzie, what a pleasant surprise." When she didn't respond, he continued, "What can I do for you?"

"Can you come over for a few minutes? I wanted to ask you something." She heard Red give Dembe instructions to turn around and said, "I'll be there shortly." She hung up and took a deep breath.

A few minutes later she heard a soft knock on the door. "Lizzie, is everything ok?" she heard Red ask loudly through the closed door. She opened the door to let him in and noted his worried expression. "Nothing's wrong," she reassured him, "I just didn't want to have a long conversation over the phone." She shut the door and grabbed the tickets as they both sat down on the couch. He took his hat off and laid it on the cushion between them, then looked at her expectantly. Liz suddenly felt nervous and asked shyly, "My friend gave me these baseball tickets for tomorrow and I wanted to see if you'd go with me."

Red looked at her dumbfounded for a few moments. "What?" Liz answered sarcastically, "Baseball, Red. You know where the guy hits a ball with a bat and then he runs around the bases?"

Red answered sounding a little irritated, "I know what baseball is, Lizzie, I just wasn't expecting you to ask me something like that." He sighed, "I really don't understand that sport. It seems so...neanderthal."

Liz rolled her eyes. Only he could make it sound so barbaric. "Please, Red? I've never been to a baseball game and I'd really like to go, but I don't want to go alone."

Red grimaced. "Lizzie, why on earth would you want to go? The seats are horribly uncomfortable, it's always so crowded and the food is atrocious."

Liz's expression sobered. "My dad and I used to watch games on tv and he would make me laugh during the stories he told about times he went when he was a boy. He wanted us to go, but whenever we tried, something would always come up. Then he got sick and it just never happened. After he passed away, it hit me that I'll never get a chance to go with him."

Red expression softened as he answered gently, "I'm sorry Lizzie, I never knew." Liz looked at Red and smiled sadly. "It's ok, but I always knew that that's one thing I wanted to do to remember him."

Red looked at her for a few seconds. "Ok Lizzie I'll go with you. If nothing else, to honor Sam's memory. What time is the game?"

Liz looked at the tickets, "Two PM. I figured you could pick me up around noon. That should give us plenty of time to get there, find our seats and then maybe have time to look around a little bit in case we want to buy any souvenirs."

Red thought for a moment. "Why don't we make it eleven? It's a Saturday, so who knows what the traffic will be like, and if we get there too early we can take our time and shop around like you wanted."

Liz smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

Red nodded as they stood up. "I'll have Dembe drive so he can drop us off." He put his hat on as they walked to the door. As he was about to leave Liz said, "You're going to wear something other than a suit though, right?"

Red looked down at his clothes and then back up at her. "What's wrong with my suit? I thought you liked the way I dress."

Liz smiled as she reached out and tugged on his coat. "I do, very much, but I really don't think it would be comfortable at a baseball game; especially since we'll be outside all afternoon."

Red heaved a dramatic sigh that caused Liz to roll her eyes internally. "Fine. I'll figure something out. The things I do for you, Lizzie," he said with a teasing glint in his eyes. He pulled her close and kissed her on the cheek, then moved back and looked her in the eyes. "Until tomorrow, then," he said with a small smile.

Liz smiled as she watched him walk out, then closed the door and leaned against it. She let out the breath she hadn't realized that she'd been holding, and went into the kitchen to grab a snack, then realized that she couldn't wait for tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Saturday dawned bright and sunny. Liz woke before her alarm and reached over to turn it off. She laid in bed for a few minutes thinking about the day ahead with butterflies in her stomach. She was excited for the game, but still nervous about spending the whole day with Red. She wanted to have a good time, but hoped her nerves didn't get the best of her; it was hard to even be near him without her knees turning to jelly, and she hoped it didn't show.

"I guess it's now or never," she said to herself. She got out of bed and plugged her ipod into the docking station so she could listen to some music while getting ready. She went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth, then splashed some cold water on her face. Walking back into the bedroom, she headed towards the closet thinking about what she wanted to wear.

She stood and stared into her closet for a good five minutes. She wanted to dress comfortably because they were going to outside, but she also wanted to look good for Red. It frustrated her that she cared so much about what he thought. She finally decided on a pair of jean capris and a form fitting red shirt that went well with her skin tone; she hoped Red would appreciate it.

After changing into her clothes, she walked back into the bathroom to do her makeup. She put on just enough to enhance her features, then started to brush her hair. She was thinking about wearing a hat, so she pulled it up in a loose ponytail for now. She grabbed a small pair of hoop earrings and then stepped back to admire her effort. Satisfied, she walked out into the hall and over to the spare room.

She still had some odds and ends in boxes in the closet and was pretty sure there was a ball cap in one. She grabbed the first box and started to search. In it was high school _memorabilia_; yearbooks, pep rally souvenirs and graduation announcements. She chuckled at a picture of her with her friends at the prom.

She grabbed the second box and saw the cap as she opened it. As she pulled it out, something square fluttered to the floor. She bent down to pick it up and saw the words, "Lizzie, age 7." She turned it over and saw that it was a photograph of her and her father.

Her dad was standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders. She had on a ball cap, a baseball mitt and was sporting a smile with her two front teeth missing. Liz started to smile but then felt the prick of tears behind her eyes. She remembered the day this picture was taken; her dad had taken her to the park and they had played catch for hours. Just the memory of that special day brought actual tears to her eyes, and she felt a few run down her cheeks. At that moment, Red stepped into the bedroom with a concerned look on his face.

"Lizzie? Sweetheart, what's wrong?" He said as he walked over to her. She looked up at him as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Red. I didn't hear you knock."

"Actually I just used my key," he said as he held a hand out to help her up.

They stood up and she held the picture up for him to see. "I found this and the memory hit me pretty hard."

He looked at it with a fond smile. "You know, I think this is the picture he used to carry in his wallet. He was so proud of you." He looked at Liz and saw more tears slip out. "Are you ok?"

She looked at him and whispered, "I miss him so much."

"Come here," he said as he held his arm out. She stepped into his embrace and let herself be held. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed his hand slowly up and down her back as she cried softly. After a few moments she was able to compose herself and pulled back. Red reached up and wiped the remaining wetness from her cheeks. "You know I'm always here for you. No matter what." It was more of a statement than a question, and she looked at him with a small smile as he asked, "Feel better?"

She nodded slightly, "Thanks Red."

He looked at her for a few seconds more and was apparently satisfied with what he saw, so he nodded and stepped back. She started to move away when he said, "Can I see that picture again?" She handed it to him and he smiled as he looked at it. "You really were a cute kid," he cocked his head, "but you must have been really small because that mitt looks bigger than your head."

She playfully slugged him in the arm and yanked the picture out of his fingers. He feigned hurt as he put a hand on his arm where she hit him. "Elizabeth, we really need to work on the violence," he said with fake concern.

As she walked over to the put the picture back in the box, she smiled smugly and said, "Oh, I can give you violence." She looked back at him and saw him rub the scar on his neck where she had stabbed him in the neck all those months ago.

"Don't I know it," he said with a smile that made her blush.

She decided against the hat, and they walked to the door. "Are you ready to go?" He asked as they made their way out of the room and down the hall to the living room.

"Yep, just need to grab the tickets from the kitchen," she said, and grabbed her sneakers and started to put them on.

"I can get them," Red said turning towards the kitchen. Liz watched him walk away and only now saw what he was wearing. He had on a black short sleeved shirt and a pair of nice fitting darker blue/gray jeans with black sneakers. It wasn't anything fancy but wow he looked good, especially from behind.

Her very next thought was that she needed to stop staring before he turned around - "Lizzie?" Crap. Red was looking at her with a knowing smile. She blushed and looked down, trying to busy herself with tying her shoes, finding it a task with shaking fingers. She finally finished and stood up as he walked over and stopped in front of her.

He looked her over and said in a low, mesmerizing voice, "You look radiant, Lizzie. That color does wonders for your skin." Her breath caught in her throat. He gave her a small smile and took another step towards her. Breathing was now near impossible for her, as he reached up and gently pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. His touch gave her nerves an electric jolt and she closed her eyes, slightly leaning into his hand, savoring the moment.

She opened her eyes as he gave her a lingering kiss on the forehead then pulled back to look at her. "Are you ready?"

"Ready," she said. He reached over and grabbed a baseball cap off of the couch and put it on as they made their way to the front door. She was surprised for moment. "What, no fedora?" she asked as she studied him. "I didn't think that would look quite right at a baseball game" he replied as he adjusted the cap. He reached over and opened then door then looked back at her with a look of uncertainty. "It looks odd, doesn't it?" he asked as he waited for her to pass.

"No" she said as she started towards the door. As she started to pass him, she suddenly turned and popped up on her tiptoes so they were face to face, noses almost touching as she whispered with a seductive smile, "I think you look sexy." Then she turned and sailed out the door without waiting for him to respond.

Red smiled as he walked out, shutting the door behind him making sure it was locked. Liz was already halfway down the hall so he took a few long strides to catch up to her. Leaning in close as they were still walking, he whispered, "Two can play that game, Lizzie, you just wait and see" then walked quickly on ahead of her.

Liz tried and failed to bite back a giggle that echoed down the hall. "This" she thought to herself as she hurried to catch up to him, "is going to be one interesting afternoon."


	3. Chapter 3

First - sorry it took me so long to update; my creative juices were pretty dry lately which is probably why it's a little shorter! Second - I didn't have anyone proofread this - I wanted to try and go at it on my own. (baby steps!) So if it's horrible I apologize! Let me know! :)

Liz got in the car in and Dembe turned around to greet her. "Hello Liz, ready to go?" Liz smiled, "all set," she said as she shut the door. He turned back around and pulled away from the curb.

No one said anything for a while as they rode in companiable silence. Liz's stomach still had a few butterflies, so she was happy to sit and admire the passing landscape. They had gone just a few blocks when a strange dinging noise sounded from the front. "Shoot." Dembe said. He glanced at Red through the rearview mirror, "I am so sorry, we're going to have to stop for gas. I was so preoccupied on our route that I completely forgot to stop and fill up before we started." Red nodded, "No problem Dembe, whatever you need to do. We're making good time so we're fine."

Dembe spotted a station on the next block and turned in. He pulled up to a pump and turned the car off. Getting out, he was about to shut the door when he stopped and popped his head back in, looking at Liz. "Did you want anything from inside?" Liz shook her head, "No, I'm fine, but thanks Dembe." she replied, smiling. Dembe nodded and pulled out of the car, shutting the door.

Liz looked at Red and he gave her a small smile. "Everything ok?" he asked. Liz started wringing her hands; she had wanted to talk to him about their relationship, but now that she had the opportunity, her nerves were starting to get the better of her. She smiled, "I actually wanted to ask you something." Red nodded and turned his body towards her to show she had his full attention. Liz gathered her courage and took a nervous breath, "Since we're going to be spending the whole afternoon together, I was hoping we could figure out where we are before we get there." He frowned slightly, "Where we are?" Liz nodded, closed her eyes and let out a breath. "I like you. As in, 'I like you and would like to see where this could lead', like you," She paused to take a breath and opened one eye to peek at Red who had his eye brows raised, whether in question or disbelief, she wasn't sure.

She closed her eyes again and waited for him to answer. When he didn't, she opened her eyes all the way and looked at him. He was looking at her with slight humor. "What?" she asked, slightly irritated. "Was that a funny question?" He smiled. "Lizzie, if I didn't feel the same way, do you think I would have accepted your invitation? Especially since I can't stand these events in the first place?" He reached over and wrapped his pinky finger through hers. Looking back at her, he chuckled, "Breathe, Lizzie." She let out out a breath and smiled. "I just wanted to be sure," she said.

He suddenly looked at her very intently and pulled his hand from hers, raising it to cup her cheek. He gave it a gentle caress. "I'm sure," he said softly. She smiled slightly, "Good," she whispered. They stared at each other for a few moments until Dembe returned and opened the door, making her jump. They both chuckled and Red dropped his hand, again covering hers. He looked to Dembe, "Are we all set?" Dembe glanced back and nodded, "Good to go."

They made their way to the main highway and were on their way. Red and Liz were content to make light conversation. They had been driving for about 15 minutes when Dembe suddenly broke hard and started mumbling angrily. Red looked up, "What happened?" Dembe glanced back, "sorry about that, this guy in front of me suddenly shot over and cut me off."

Liz's head shot up to look out the front, "Where?" Dembe pointed to the car in front of theirs. "This guy in the Mercedes. I don't even think he looked, he just shot over and all but clipped our bumper." Liz leaned up, trying to see. "Look at that, he's on his cell phone too. He's not even paying attention, what an idiot! He has a fancy schmancy car so he thinks he can do whatever the heck he wants. I feel like pulling out my gun and blowing out his fancy back tires!" she said as she sat back with an irritated huff.

She looked over at Red and his face had a look of complete shock. "What?" she asked. He continued to stare at her in disbelief. She let out a hard breath. "Sorry, I get a little road rage from time to time." Red blinked, "You think?" he asked sarcastically. Liz smiled slightly and shook her head, "sorry, it can tend to get the better of me. It's just so irritating the way these people drive. You wonder if they even realize there are other people on the road. It's like they're in their own little world."

Red huffed a small laugh and squeezed her hand, "I guess I learned something new about you today." Liz smiled hugely, "HA!" she said. Red nearly jumped from her outburst and looked at her in question. Liz smiled smugly and poked her finger in his chest, "So you DON'T know everything about me!" She sat back and crossed her arms with obvious satisfaction. With a teasing glint in his eyes and a flirtatious smile, Red leaned over until their noses were almost touching and said very softly, "Give me time, Lizzie. Just give me time."


End file.
